Wicket for river dams



Fbl5, 1955 J. c.' TRAVILLA wIcxET FOR RIVER DAMS 3 SheetsSheet l Filed Aug. 21, 1952 IN VEN TOR.

Feb. 15, 1955 J, c, TRAVlLLA 2,701,953

WICKET FOR RIVER DAMS Fi1ed`Aug. 21, 1952 5 sheets-sheet 2 N /4 i /0 l T 2 IN VEN TOR.

Feb. 15, 1955 J. c. TRAVILLA wIcKET FoR RIVER DAMS 3 Sheeos-Sheet4 I5 Filed Aug. 21, 1952 INVENTOR. WQ j' nited States Patent C l 1 2,101,953 wIcKErFoR RIVER DAMS YJames C. Traviila, University City, M0.,.assign0r to General Steel Castings Corporation, Granite City, Ill.,` a corporation of Delaware Application. Augustll, 1952, Serial N0. 305,524 6 Claims. (Cl. k61,27)

Thisvinventijon relates, to. river dams comprising a plurality of movablev wickets and, more particularlyxto'.the constructionofthe individual wickets.

One wicket type river -dam comprises a -plurality of wickets mounted side yby side upona foundation on the river bed. Each wicket yis adapted to swing from a lowered position in which it restsv upon Vthe dam foundation substantially throughout its length into a raised position for creating, during low-river, stages, a pool on the upstreamside which will 'oat vessels to ,be passed through locksat one side of the river.

Heretofore, the individual wicketA has been built of a plurality of wood timbers bolted together with metal binders and trim members, and having metal hinges secured thereto. In use, these timbers become watersoaked when resting upon the foundation on the river lbed and rot when raised and subjected to 4the elements. `It is customary to use wooden strips or needles to iill the spaces between adjacent wickets, but warping and twisting of the timbers result in their disalignment and irregular spaces between them. The `timbers are subjected to jarring impacts when the wickets are released for dropping into resting position upon the foundation, and such impacts will loosen the metal binders and trim.

Hence, wickets of the usual wooden` timber construction require extensive maintenance with frequent replacement vof wickets and needles. Furthermore, thev nature -ten'sive use with minimum maintenance, and which will `resist tendenc1es to lose alignment with the adjacent wickets,thereby obviating the use of varyingiinterposed needles and the replacementof 'the needles.

lt is an additional object to provide a cast metalwicket 'which is resistant to corrosion and which isso .designed yas to be substantially free of shrinkage strains and the like.

vIt is a further object to prov-ide a wicket ofthe character stated which will be durable :andV reliable Vin usage and which may be most economically manufactured.

These and other 'detailed objects, as will appearfrom .the description below, are attained by the structure illustratelcll in the accompanying drawings (three sheets) .in whic Figurel is. a perspective view showing a portionl of -a movable wicket-type river dam .incorporatingwickets constructed in accordance with andl embodying the-present invention; and also indicating al bargeA f oroperating the wickets.

Figures 2, 3, 4,l andiy diagrammatically.illustrate,suc-

t cessive stages, in theL raising and, -lowering Aof, a wicket.

Figure`6 is a plan view of the normally upstream vface or top of a single wicket.

Figure 'l'` iS .a Side. elevation. of. Athe wicket.

Figure 8 isaplanyiew ofthenormally downstream face or bottom of the wicket.

FigureQ. is anendgviewof the normally kforward or upstream end ofthe wicket- ;Figure-lt) is angendv viewVVV ofjtheinormallymear or :downstream end of the wicket.

:Figure `l1 is a longitudinal vertical section` online -1- 11,-111 of, Figure '6 with portions .broken away.. to: enable the drawing to .be made to alarger scale.

Figure 12 is a transverse` section on line 12-12 of 2,701,953 Patented Feb. 15, 1955 Figure 13 is a transverse section on line 1-3-.13 of Figure l6'.

y Figure 14 is a detail horizontal section on line.14-14 of Figure 1.3.

Figure 15is a detail longitudinal vertical section on line 15-15 of Figure 6.

In Figure 1,`AV designates a portion of a movable wicket-type river dam comprising a masonryfoundation 1 constructed on a river bed 2. A plurality of wickets 3 are mounted for swingingabout a horizontal axis `b etween loweredor rest position upon foundationV 1 (Figure 2) andelevated or operativeposition (Figure 4) to'provide .a barrier during low river stages for developing pools. upon the upstream side. Secured to the underside or .downstream face `of each Wicket 3 intermediate its-ends are wicket boxes 5, one near each side of the wicket. Boxes 5 journal a shaft 4 which mounts a sleeve 6 secured to theforward o1' upstream end of a prop 7, the rearward or downstream end of whichis free and extends beyond the downstream end ofthe wicket when the wicket is lowered. At opposite ends of sleeve 6 are the sleeve-like, normally upper ends of a pair of braces 8,l having their sleeve-like vlower or upstream ends receiving a rod 9 mounted upon foundation 1 .and extending transversely ofthe stream. The ends of the wicketare provided with short cross bars 12, 213,'A respectively (Figures 9,10, 1l) forengagement by a hook arm H mounted on a barge rB.

AThe operation of raising and lowering a wicket 3,'is diagrammatically illustrated in Figures V2 5, inclusive. To elevate wicket 3 from a position of rest (Figure 2), hook arm H is engaged about the Wicket forward cross bar 12 and is then lraised and moved upstream tolift 1the wicketfrorwa'rd end 10, lthe force of the stream holdingthe, wicket substantially horizontal (Figure 3) and braces 8` are swung into vertical position. As the forward end of prop 'l is ralsed, its free rear endY is received 4within a notch 14 in foundation 1, thereby holding wicket 3 against movement downstream. Hook arm H is then depressed to rock the wicket forward end 10 downwardly and downstream about shaft 4, vwhich is stably positioned by the y'upper ends of braces 8 and prop 7. When wicket 3 has beenswung suflciently to permit the stream to strike its forwardvface, the stream swings lthe wicket forward end 10 intoabutment with a sill 15 on foundation 1 (Figure 4). In lthis position, wicket 3 is fully raised-and'supported for damming purposes.

To return the wicket tohlowere'd position, hook Varm YH is engaged lwith rear cross bar 13, which is now uppermost, and the wicket rear end 11 is pulled upstream pivoting about the wicket forward end 10 on sill 15 and moving prop 7 out of notch 14 (Figure 5). The lower end of prop 7 is moved to the right by a foundation'y cam ledgeL (Figure 1). Thereupon hook arm His mOYed vdownstream and swings the wicket intosubstantially horizontal position with the face'thereof parallel with the s tream. Hook arm H is then released and the wicket swingsdownwardly into lowered position (Figure'Z).

`The .wicket forming the present invention is of all metal, construction, preferablypconsisting of a one piece metalcasting shaped to provide adequatestrength with minimum amountl of metal and in ay form which may be produced with a minimum amount of cores and machining. ln plan viewV (Figure 6) the wicket corresponds in length and width to wooden or composite wickets ,previously used. In transverse and longitudinal section, the wicket has contours substantially different from wickets, previously used.

Thehwicketembodies a webstructure substantially con- ,tinuousffrorn, end to end and from side to side of the wicket with portions oifset from each other upwardly and `downwardly of the wicket to form a series ofV U-like set;- tions or. deepcorrugations extending substantially lfrom end to end .of the wicket and providing longitudinal depressions in they upwardly facing and downwardly facing web portions to form av rigid structurev between the, ends of the wicket. (Figure 12.)

The corrugations or depressions include a downwardly ICC 0l opening central.A section 1,7, upwardly opening interme- 17 and 19 form the upper face or top of theV wicket. Web portions 22 of sections 18 form the lower face or bottom of the wicket. Substantially upright web portions 25, 26, and 27 form the sides of the sections and rigidity the wicket between its top and bottom web portions.

' Near the downstream or right hand end 11 of the wicket, bottom web portions 22 are inclined upwardly longitudinally of the wicket at 24 and merge wlth upper web portions and 21 to form a substantially continuous top face 28 extending from side to side of the wickety 26 converge at 32 and then extend forwardly, cooperating with portion 30 to form a pocket 33 to receive cross bar 12, which is projected through webs 26 and welded in place (Figure 9).

Upright end web portions 34, at the forward and rear ends, respectively, of the wicket extend from side to side of the wicket, except for the pockets 33 and 29, and merge with web portions 20, 21, 22, and 27 and with web portions 31 and 2.8 respectively form box-like end structures further rigidifying the wicket.

The sides of the U sections or deep corrugated converge towards their top and bottom webs so as to facilitate molding operations and the corners between webs extending in different directions are rounded for the `sarne general purpose.

Intermediate the ends of the wicket, the central corrugaton 17 is widened, and the side corrugations 18 are correspondingly narrowed, and flanges 36 project from the bottom of sections 18 and separately formed wicket boxes 5 are applied to flanges 36. Vertical ribs 37 extend transversely of the wicket from side to side above flanges 36 to which the wicket boxes are applied and rigidify the wicket transversely of its depth (Figure 13).

Between wicket box mounting flanges 36 and the wicket rear end 11, flanges 38 project from the bottom of sections 18 and separately formed buffer blocks 39, preferably of wood, may be secured to anges 38 to cushion the impact between the wicket and the foundation when the wicket is lowered, and to support the wicket in such position (Figure l). Transverse upright ribs 40 merge with flanges 38 and the adjacent longitudinally ex tending web portions to further rigidity the wicket transversely of its length.

Relatively short upright reinforcing ribs 41 extend inwardly from rear end web portion 35 far enough to reinforce the adjacent part of the wicket which receives the hook arm H.

The wicket is an integrated, unitary casting, preferably of steel, which is designed for economical production substantially by green sand molding. The inclination of the sides of the surfaces and the web portions, between the top and bottom web portions, and the lrounded corners permit the casting to be readily parted from its mold, as well as to tend to eliminate the possibility of the development of shrinkage strains. Only a small amount of coring is required as at anges 36, 38 and at the holes for pins 12, 13.

In operation, the wickets provide a rigid, strong structure which is resistant to weaving or bending because of the rigidity inherent therein, as a result of the corrugated form and the reinforcing ribs.

Accordingly, the wickets will better maintain their alignment and there will be no deterioration along their margins and this will avoid excessive variations in the intervening needles used to fill spaces between adjacent wickets, as indicated in Figure l2. Such needles may take the form of wood strips N or metal pipes N.

The details of construction may be varied without departing from the spirit of the invention and the exclusive use of those modifications coming within the scope of the claims is contemplated.

What is claimed is:

1. A wicket of the class described comprising an elongated casting having transversely spaced top web portions, ltransversely spaced `bottom web portions, said' top and bottom web portions being offset from each other transversely of the general plane of the wicket and web portions extending between said t op and bottom portions and merging therewith to form a series of corrugations extending lengthwise of the wicket and corresponding in depth to the depth of vthe wicket, there being anges of restricted length on atleast one ofsaid bottom web portions spaced below the level of an adjacent top web portion and projecting laterally beyond the edge thereof to form a mounting bracket for a wicket accessory.

2. A wicket as described in claim 1 which includes a flange ou at least one of, said bottom web portions projecting laterally from and spaced beneath an adjacent top web portion to Vform with said` bottom web portion a mounting bracket for a wicket accessory, there being a rib extending upwardly and downwardly from said bottom and top web portions respectively and extending between said ilange and the adjacent upwardly and downwardly extending web portion to brace said bracket from the remainder of the wicket structure.

3. A cast metal wicket for a river dam comprising an elongated body having upper and lower faces, spaced apart, said upper face having a pair of longitudinally depressions on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of said body for dividing said upper face into a central web portion and a pair of lateral web portions, said depressions terminating spacedly from the normally downstream end of said body and converging toward each other for a confluence spacedly from the normally upstream end of said body, said upper face further having an axial depression opening at the upstream end of said body and being in communication at its other end with said longitudinal depressions coincidental with their point of confluence, and a hook-engaging bar extending transversely across said axial depression adjacent the upstream end of said body in spaced relation to the base of said axial depression.

4. A cast metal wicket for a river darn comprising an elongated body having upper and lower faces, said upper face having a pair of longitudinal depressions on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of said body for dividing said upper face into a central web portion and a pair of lateral web portions, said upstream face having an up- -wardly opening recess at the upstream end of said body and having an upwardly opening recess adjacent the downstream Vend of said body, and a hook-engaging bar within and extending transversely across each of said recesses in spaced relation to the bottoms thereof.

5. A cast metal wicket for a river dam comprising an elongated body having upper and lower faces spaced apart, said upper facing having a pair of longitudinal depressions on opposite sides of the longitudinal axis of said body and dividing said upper face into a central web portions, in planar alignment with each other, said lower face having three longitudinal depressions formed therein immediately below the central and lateral web portions of the upper face and forming a pair of web portions disposed on either side of the longitudinal axis of the body and being in planar alignment with each other, whereby said upper face web portions and said lower face web portions are at the top and bottom of the wicket, respectively.

6. A cast metal wicket of the type described in claim 3 wherein the central and lateral web portions of the upper face are n planar alignment, said central web portion being inclined downwardly at its upstream end for merging into the axial depression, said lower face having three longitudinal depressions formed therein dividing said face into a pair of elongated web portions which merge at their upstream end with the base of theraxial depression.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 225,533 Pasqueau Mar. 16, 1880 1,184,062 Bebout May 23, 1916 1,203,819 Van Dorn Nov. 7, 1916 1,624,571 Aubert Apr. 12, 1927 1,830,388 Dorey Nov. 3, 1931 2,335,327 Wellons Nov. 30, 1943 M Y. FOREIGN PATENTS j 355,244 Great Britain of'1931 

